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Anenih calls for entrenchment of women’s rights into various institutions

Published

6 years ago

July 22, 2019

The Former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Josephine Anenih has called on the education sector, security organisations, media, lawmakers, among others to begin to entrench the rights of women into the institutions thay represent.

Anenih was speaking at the official launch of Women’s Voice and Leadership-Nigeria Project in Abuja on Monday.

The programme which was organised by ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) in collaboration with the Global Affairs Canada was aimed at supporting the capacity and activities of local and national women’s organisations while achieving gender equality.

Anenih noted that the launch of the project would have ripple effect of the gains in projecting the voices of the marginalised in the society.

“There is so much that needs to be done to bridge the gender equality gaps in all spheres of life and work in our nation.

“The increased incidences of discrimination against women is alarming. As a former minister, it grieves me that the number of women representations in the high levels of leadership is decreasing instead of increasing as one would expect in the times we are in.

“This is the time when much more women should be in places of leadership, projecting the voices of those they represent and fighting for their causes.”

She, therefore, charged AAN to put its best in ensuring that the overall goal of the project was achieved.

Meanwhile, Mrs Ene Obi, Country Director, AAN said that women were disproportionately disadvantaged in all spheres of life despite Nigeria being committed to advancing gender equality with seemingly enabling policy landscape.

Obi noted that gender discrimination was still woven through legal and social norms in the country saying that inequality, poverty and violence is evidenced in the increased reporting of related incidences of discrimination against women and girls in the country.

” These issues have continued to trail us, and therefore, ActionAid Nigeria continues to work to achieving social justice, gender equality and poverty eradication.

” We connect the work we do at the community level with broader efforts and struggles for justice at every level to make the greatest contribution towards a just, equitable and sustainable world.

” This project is aimed at contributing to equality between women and men to strengthen the empowerment and fulfilment of the rights of women and girls.”

Ene stressed on the need for women to ensure social mobilisation of their constituency to stand up to the development challenges facing the nation.

She, however, charged women leaders to re-commit themselves to the emancipation and empowerment of Nigerian women and girls.

Also, Mrs Sonia Warner, UK Department for International Development said it would take Nigeria 170 years to close the gender gaps while calling for drastic actions to empower women in the society.

Warner noted that the UK government had been supporting women and would continue to support them to bridge the gaps.

Similarly, Mrs Amina Salihu from the MacArthur Foundation said it was worrisome that Nigeria still have over 10 million children out of school.

She said it was time the country begin to define what it meant to win while also paying attention on how we raise our children.

Mrs Suwaiba Yakubu-Jibrin, Head of Programme AAN, who spoke on the overview of the project, said the Global Affairs Canada would be funding the project with N2.6 billion which would be for a period of five years and administered by AAN.

She added that the project which also targeted 100 local women rights organisations across the six geopolitical zones in the country.

She said these include: 72 from community based organisations, 10 from local women rights network and 18 from local women residence officers at state levels.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that six states such as Bauchi, Enugu, Kebbi, Cross River, Lagos and Kwara state are the pilot states of the project.

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NELFUND: The Renewed Hope Engine Propelling Nigeria’s Youth into Tomorrow

Published

2 days ago

November 28, 2025

The Gleamer

By Dayo Israel, National Youth Leader, APC

As the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, I have spent most of my tenure fighting for a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of their ward or local government, family income, or circumstance, can chase dreams without the chains of financial despair.

Today, that fight feels like victory, thanks to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Launched as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, this initiative isn’t just a policy tweak; it’s a revolution. And under the steady, visionary hand of Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND has transformed from a bold promise into a roaring engine of opportunity, disbursing over ₦116 billion to more than 396,000 students and shattering barriers for over a million applicants.

Let’s be clear: NELFUND was always destined to be a game-changer. Signed into law by President Tinubu on April 3, 2024, it repealed the outdated 2023 Student Loan Act, replacing it with a modern, inclusive framework that covers tuition, upkeep allowances, and even vocational training—ensuring no Nigerian youth is left on the sidelines of progress.

But what elevates it from groundbreaking to generational? Leadership. Enter Akintunde Sawyerr, the diplomat-turned-executioner whose career reads like a blueprint for results-driven governance. From co-founding the Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFGEAN) in 2012—backed by icons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina—to steering global logistics at DHL across 21 countries, Sawyerr brings a rare alchemy: strategic foresight fused with unyielding accountability.

As NELFUND’s pioneer MD, he’s turned a fledgling fund into a finely tuned machine, processing over 1 million applications since May 2024 and disbursing ₦116 billion—₦61.33 billion in institutional fees and ₦46.35 billion in upkeep—to students in 231 tertiary institutions nationwide. That’s not bureaucracy; that’s brilliance.

Sawyerr’s touch is everywhere in NELFUND’s ascent. Since the portal’s launch, he’s overseen a digital ecosystem that’s as transparent as it is efficient—seamless verification, BVN-linked tracking, and real-time dashboards that have quashed misinformation and built trust. In just 18 months, the fund has empowered 396,252 students with interest-free loans, many first-generation learners who might otherwise have dropped out.

Sensitization drives in places like Ekiti and Ogun have spiked applications — 12,000 in a single day in one instance, while expansions to vocational centers in Enugu pilot the next wave of skills-based funding. And amid challenges like data mismatches and fee hikes, Sawyerr’s team has iterated relentlessly: aligning disbursements with academic calendars, resuming backlogged upkeep payments for over 3,600 students, and even probing institutional compliance to safeguard every kobo. This isn’t management; it’s mastery—a man who doesn’t just lead but launches futures.

Yet, none of this happens in a vacuum. President Tinubu’s alliance with trailblazers like Sawyerr is the secret sauce securing Nigeria’s tomorrow. The President’s Renewed Hope Agenda isn’t rhetoric; it’s resources—₦100 billion seed capital channeled into a system that prioritizes equity over elitism. Together, they’ve forged a partnership where vision meets velocity: Tinubu’s bold repeal of barriers meets Sawyerr’s boots-on-the-ground execution, turning abstract policy into tangible triumphs. It’s a synergy that’s non-discriminatory by design—Christians, Muslims, every tribe and tongue united in access—fostering national cohesion through classrooms, not courtrooms.

As Sawyerr himself notes, this is “visionary leadership” in action, where the President’s political will ignites reforms that ripple across generations.

Why does this matter to us, Nigeria’s youth? Because NELFUND isn’t handing out handouts—it’s handing out horizons. In a country where 53% of us grapple with unemployment, these loans aren’t just funds; they’re fuel for innovation, entrepreneurship, and endurance.

Picture it: A first-generation polytechnic student in Maiduguri, once sidelined by fees, now graduates debt-free (repayments start two years post-NYSC, employer-deducted for ease) and launches a tech startup. Or a vocational trainee in Enugu, equipped with skills funding, revolutionizing local agriculture. This is quality education that endures—not fleeting certificates, but lifelong launchpads. Sawyerr’s focus on human-centered design ensures loans cover not just books, but bread—upkeep stipends of ₦20,000 monthly keeping hunger at bay so minds can soar. Under his watch, NELFUND has debunked doubts, refuted fraud claims, and delivered results that scream sustainability: Over ₦99.5 billion to 510,000 students by September, with 228 institutions on board.

As youth leaders, we see NELFUND for what it is: A covenant with our future. President Tinubu and MD Sawyerr aren’t just allies; they’re architects of an educated, empowered Nigeria—one where poverty’s grip loosens with every approved application, and innovation blooms from every funded desk. This isn’t charity; it’s an investment in the 70 million of us who will lead tomorrow.

We’ve crossed one million applications not because of luck, but leadership—a duo that’s turning “access denied” into “future unlocked.”

To President Tinubu: Thank you for daring to dream big and backing it with action.

To Akintunde Sawyerr: You’re the executor we needed, proving that one steady hand can steady a nation.

And to every Nigerian youth: Apply. Graduate. Conquer.

Because with NELFUND, your generation isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving, enduring, and eternal.

The Renewed Hope isn’t a slogan; it’s our story, now written in scholarships and success. Let’s keep turning the page.

Dayo Israel is the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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